Chapter 58

While Ye Baizhi was busy with her tasks, Ye Wulan stayed by her side, helping her every step of the way. He couldn’t bear to let her exhaust herself—whatever she wanted to do, he accompanied her, assisting wherever he could.

Of course, Da Bao loved the tanghulu that Ye Baizhi made. But she worried that eating too many might not be good for his teeth.

“They’re sticky, so you shouldn’t eat too many.”

Da Bao held onto the tanghulu reluctantly. “Mother, it’s so delicious.”

Watching his eager, food-loving expression, Ye Baizhi couldn’t help but chuckle. “Not too much. Once we go out, I’ll make more snacks for you.”

Although Da Bao still wanted the tanghulu, he obediently set it down. “Da Bao will listen to Mother.”

Seeing his adorable, well-behaved demeanor, Ye Baizhi’s heart softened—she could hardly resist letting him indulge in as many tanghulu as he wanted.

At that moment, she finally understood why so many people couldn’t help but spoil their children. It was truly hard to resist!

She steadied herself, keeping her composure. “Come here, open your mouth. Let Mother check your teeth.”

Da Bao obediently opened his mouth for Ye Baizhi to inspect.

“You’ve grown another little tooth—four on the top and four on the bottom.”

“So white and neatly aligned.”

Da Bao refrained from eating more tanghulu, but his stomach still craved something else. Spotting the fruit leather drying in the courtyard, he asked, “Mother, can I eat that fruit leather yet?”

Rubbing his tummy, he was clearly still hungry.

Ye Baizhi picked up a hawthorn fruit leather and handed it to him. “It’s not fully dried yet, but you can try a piece.”

Over the past few days, she had not only made canned fruit and jam but also fruit leather. Now, they were all drying outside.

Meanwhile, Ye Wulan sat on a stool, carefully peeling and coring apples and peaches, making it easier for Ye Baizhi to prepare more preserves and fruit leather.

As for the tomatoes, Ye Baizhi used a portion of them to make tomato sauce. If she could find potatoes later, she could make fries and dip them in the sauce. Of course, she could also use it for fried chicken and other dishes. Ever since she had picked fresh tomatoes, she had been using them in the mornings to make tomato dumpling soup or tomato egg soup. Both Ye Wulan and Da Bao seemed to enjoy them.

Then, Ye Baizhi went back inside to prepare a bottle of milk powder for Da Bao.

“Drink this.”

She knew that Da Bao’s strength was improving rapidly, requiring more energy and nutrients. Although he ate regularly, he needed additional food every two to three hours.

Da Bao gulped down the milk quickly, then rubbed his belly, feeling full at last.

Ye Baizhi gently stroked his hair. “Such a good boy.”

Unable to resist, she lightly poked his small belly and asked, “What do you want to eat for dinner?”

“Everything Mother makes is delicious.”

To Da Bao, anything his mother cooked was the best.

Ye Baizhi turned to Ye Wulan. “What do you want to eat?”

Even while working, Ye Wulan carried an air of refined nobility—like an immortal, like a devil, breathtakingly captivating. Smiling gently, he looked at her. “Anything is fine.”

Observing his complexion and sensing his aura, Ye Baizhi realized his health had improved. Every night, he held her in his arms as they slept. Though nothing had happened, it seemed to be benefiting his body.

After thinking for a moment, she decided, “Let’s make tomato noodle soup for dinner!”

Simmering tomatoes into a rich broth and making fresh noodles.

“Alright, I’ll help you!”

These past days, whatever Ye Baizhi did, Ye Wulan assisted her. He had even picked up some cooking skills. Still, Ye Baizhi worried about his weakened state—she didn’t want him to tire himself. But Ye Wulan insisted on helping. In his view, male beastmen were meant to take care of their mates. That was simply how it should be.

He had never met a female beast like Ye Baizhi. She was truly exceptional.
The more he understood her, the deeper he fell. With each passing day, Ye Wulan’s feelings for her grew stronger than the day before.

Ye Baizhi first boiled water, then washed the tomatoes, briefly scalding them in hot water to remove the skin. She then diced them into the smallest pieces possible. Scooping out the boiling water, she set the pot aside and started fresh, adding a little oil. Next, she tossed the diced tomatoes in and began stir-frying them.

Meanwhile, Ye Wulan tended the fire, carefully controlling the heat.

Over the days of working side by side, the two had developed an unspoken understanding, seamlessly coordinating their efforts in cooking and daily tasks.

As Ye Baizhi stir-fried, she gradually poured in water, adding it little by little. Each addition was followed by gentle stirring. She added seasoning.

Once the tomato sauce was ready, she scooped it out. Then, she started fresh with another pot to cook the noodles. These noodles had been cut and dried in advance, making it easy to simply toss them into boiling water without needing to knead and cut fresh dough. It saved a lot of time.

Ye Baizhi had noticed that both Ye Wulan and Da Bao loved noodles—especially freshly made ones. Bringing the water to a boil, she added the noodles and let them cook. Once done, she scooped them into bowls and poured the tomato sauce over them. Then, she took out the eggs boiled earlier at noon, sliced them in half, and placed two halves in each of the three bowls.

“Alright, it’s ready to eat.”

“But the eggs are gone. From now on, we won’t have eggs for meals.”

“And there’s no meat left either.”

The eggs and meat they had been using came from the stored supplies in the space. Since there were no wild beasts in this secret realm, hunting was impossible, meaning they had no fresh meat. For the past several days, they had mainly been eating noodles. Fortunately, both Ye Wulan and Da Bao enjoyed them.

However, for a beastman, going too long without meat was not ideal. Their bodies require regular meat consumption to replenish energy. It seemed like it was time to leave the secret realm. There was no telling what the situation outside was like.

Ye Wulan sighed. “It’s time to go.”

“The flow of time in this secret realm is different from the outside world.”

Ye Baizhi knew that certain things could not be delayed any longer.

“Let’s eat first.”

Da Bao cheerfully dug into his meal. He had started with a spoon, but now he had learned to use chopsticks. Though his movements were a little clumsy, he was getting the hang of it. “Mother, it’s delicious. Same noodles, but a different taste.”

Previously, Ye Baizhi had made noodles with cabbage and meat broth, which had a completely different taste from the tomato-based version.

“Mother will help you pick some up.”

“No need, Mother. I’ll do it myself.” Da Bao liked feeding himself.

Ye Baizhi let him be, watching him eat happily. Seeing his enthusiasm, she found her own appetite growing. Perhaps because they were eating well, Ye Wulan barely coughed anymore.

“Mother, it’s so delicious! The broth is amazing.”

Da Bao even finished every last drop of his soup.

After the meal, Ye Wulan didn’t let Ye Baizhi clean up—he did it himself. Once everything was tidied, he bathed Da Bao and put him to bed. Only then did Ye Wulan and Ye Baizhi wash up.

There were two beds in the room, separated by a curtain of woven grass.

Da Bao had insisted on this arrangement, claiming he wanted to sleep on his own—so that Mother and Father Ye could comfortably work on giving him a baby sister.

That night, as they lay down on the outer bed, Ye Baizhi nestled against Ye Wulan’s chest, breathing in his scent, a feeling of intoxication washing over her. She knew they couldn’t delay any longer. They needed to leave soon.

And so, she had to heal Ye Wulan’s body—quickly.

This was the only way.

She reached up, wrapping her arms around his neck, her voice soft and delicate. “Wulan, I feel a little cold.”